Typewriting machine



Feb. 2, 1937. H. A. AVERY TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Sept. 7; 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR H E NRY ALLEN AVERY ATTORN EYS Feb. 2, 1937.

H. A. AVERY TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Sept. 7, 19:55

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 i o 5 T: 5 45 /0 Kg 1 w 4s Z9 17 m 47 25 MW; 32 j F 46 fi"-- W INVENTOR- HENRY ALLEN AVERY ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 2, 1937 STATES 2,iltt,298

PATENT QFFIQE Application September 7, 1935, Serial No. 39,515

19 Claims.

The invention reiates to improvements in typewriting machines and more particularly to means for adjusting or regulating the touch of the type action keys of the machine.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide simple and efiicient means easily and quickly settable or adjustable by the typist to vary the touch of all of the type action keys simultaneously and uniformly, and to provide a touch regulating means applicable to existing machines with a minimum of change in the existing constructions.

To the foregoing and other ends which will hereinafter appear the invention consists in the features of construction, arrangements of parts and combinations of devices set forth in the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and particularly pointed in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line i-l of Fig. 5 showing only so much of the machine as is necessary to an understanding of the improvements, and showing the tension regulating means set for the lightest key touch;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantially medially of the machine and looking toward the right hand side of the machine;

ig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View, taken on the same line as Fig. l and with the touch regulating means set as in Fig. 1, but showing the parts in the positions occupied when a type action key is fully depressed;

Fig. 4c is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the tension regulating means set for the heaviest key touch within its range of adjustment and showing the parts in the positions occupied when type action key is fully depressed; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the machine with the touch regulating means set as in Figs. 1 to 3.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in its preferred form in a known typewriting machine, namely, the Corona portable typewriting machine, having type actions similar to those disclosed in my prior U. S. Patent No. 1,981,982 which actuate the universal bar of the machine. It will be understood, however, that the invention may be embodied in other typewriting ma,- chines to which the improvements are applicable.

The type actions are supported in the main frame it of the machine for typing on paper backed by the platen H of the machine. Each type action comprises one of the type bars l2 of the machine, a. pull link I3, an upstanding sublever M having its upper end connected to the heel of the type bar by the link I3, a key stem l5 carrying a finger key it, a link ll connecting the sub-lever and key stem, a pair of superposed links it and it pivotally connected at their rear ends to the key stem and pivotally held at their forward ends to rods 29 and 2 I, respectively, held to the main frame, and a type action return spring 22 anchored at its opposite ends respectively to link i'i and to an anchor bar 23 held to the main frame.

The type bars are pivoted in a segment 24 supported in the main frame, the sub-levers M are pivot-ed in a segment 25 fixed in the main frame, and the key stems are guided by suitable slotted guide means 26 held to the main frame. The return springs 22 normally hold the key stems engaged under a suitable stop bar device 21 held to the main frame. The sub-levers M are fulcrumed at their lower ends on a pivot wire 28 carried by segment 25. Each sub-lever M has a forwardly extending finger or arm I l above its pivot, said fingers M all overhanging the universal bar 29 and being normally spaced slightly upward from said universal bar.

The universal bar has forwardly extending side arms 3d and 3! journalled at their forward ends on studs 32 carried by the main frame. Arms. 33 and 34 depending from the forward ends of the side arms 30 and 3|, respectively, are connected by a rigid stiffening or brace rod 35 to which there is rigidly held a depending rock arm 35 from which there extends a link 31 for actuating the dog rocker of the platen carriage escapement mechanism of the machine.

The universal bar also actuates the inking ribbon mechanism of the machine which includes a rock shaft 38 journalled in the main frame. Fixed on said shaft 38 is a two-armed lever 39, one arm of which is connected to arm 33 by a pull link 59 and the other arm of which has a return spring ll connected thereto and to a part of the fixed framework of the machine. Spring 4! serves to return the universal bar to its normal position (shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2 and in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4), a stop finger 42 on arm 3i of the universal bar normally engaging under a stop 43 projecting inwardly from the right hand side of the main frame.

For regulating or varying the touch of the type action keys, means are provided for varying the touch as desired within predetermined limits, which means operates to uniformly change the touch of all of the type action keys simultaneously, and will now be described. A rockably adjustable and U-shaped rocking pressure frame is associated with the universal bar and com prises a horizontally disposed rock shaft M and a pair of sheet metal rock arms 5 fixed to and extending rearward from opposite ends of shaft 44 adjacent the left and right hand sides of the machine. Shaft 44 extends transversely of the machine and is journalled in ears 65 on the key stem guide means 26 fixe-d in the main frame. Arms 45 have contact lugs 47 underlying the rear ends of the side arms 30 and 3| of the universal bar, said lugs being permanently bendable by a suitable tool for purposes of factory adjustment of the machine. Two contractile springs 48, anchored at their lower ends to the rear ends of arms 45 of the pressure frame and anchored at their upper ends respectively to stop arm 63 at the right hand side of the machine and to a similar projection or arm 49 fixedly carried by the main frame at the opposite or left hand side of the machine, exert a constant upward pull on the rock arms 45 in all rockably adjusted positions of the rocking pressure frame.

Upward swinging movement of the pressure frame under the pull of springs 48 is variably limited by a manually settable touch control or touch regulating hand lever 55, the set or adjusted position of which lever determines the normal adjusted relation of the spring-urged touch-varying pressure frame to the universal bar. The hand lever 50 is preferably formed of sheet metal and of bellcrank form, being pivotally held at the juncture of its two arms to a frame bracket 5| by a shouldered pivot screw 52 which is tapped into the bracket and extends horizontally transversely of the machine. Bracket 5| is fixedly held to the main frame it] of the machine in a suitable manner as by screws 53.

The handle arm of lever 50 is slightly resilient or springy transversely of the machine and extends upwardly from pivot 52 and terminates in a finger piece 54. Said lever arm extends through, and is movable along and also laterally in, a fore-and-aft extending slot 55 in a horizontal inwardly projecting flange 55 formed along the upper edge of bracket 5i. The upper portion of the handle arm of lever 58 is normally urged toward the right to engage in one or the other of a series of notches 51 formed in flange 56 along the right hand edge of slot 55 to lock the lever 50 in either one of a plurality of selectible set positions. Seven of these notches are provided in the construction shown. The other arm of lever 50 is engageable with the rocking frame to variably depress the frame and to variably limit upward movement of the frame under pull of springs 48. Preferably this other arm of lever 50 extends forwardly and downwardly from the lever pivot 52 in the vertical plane of the left hand one of the arms 45 of the rocking pressure frame and has its lower forward end 58 adapted to contact said arm adjacent the rear end of the arm to cam the pressure frame downward or permit said frame to rise and to adapt said lever arm to serve as a stop to limit upward movement of the pressure frame following depression of the latter by the universal bar.

Preferably the series of seven notches 51 are identified consecutively from the front to the rear end of the series by index numerals 1 to 7 stampd or otherwise provided on the upper face of flange 55 opposite the respective notches, as shown in Fig. 5. The closed ends of slot 55 positively limit the extent of fore and aft swinging adjustment of lever 50, the lever being shown at one limit of its range of adjustment in Figs. 1, 3 and 5 and at the opposite limit of its range of adjustment in Fig. 4. The setting of lever 50 shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5 conditions the machine for the lightest key touch, while the adjustment shown in Fig. 4 conditions the machine for the heaviest key touch. The range of adjustment of lever 55 is preferably such that, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, the universal bar does not depress or engage the pressure frame at all when the lever 58 is latched in the foremost one (No. 1) of the notches 57, the universal bar being shown in Fig. 3 in full lines at the limit of its downward movement at the end of a full down stroke of a type key; whereas, when lever 59 is latched in the rearmost one (No. '7) of the notches, as shown in Fig. 4, the universal bar contacts and depresses the pressure frame throughout downward movement of the universal bar. In the several intermediate adjusted positions of lever 50 the universal bar picks up (or contacts), and thereafter depresses, the pressure frame at different points in the downward movement of the universal bar.

With the touch control lever adjusted as in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, upon depression of any one of the type action keys, the several parts of the type action controlled by the key start to move, after which finger M of sub-lever M of that type action contacts and starts to depress universal bar 29 and continues to depress the universal bar until the latter at the end of the down stroke of the key reaches the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, all without any movement of the pressure frame by the universal bar. A key touch of maximum lightness is thus obtained.

With the touch control lever adjusted as in Fig. 4, upon depression of any one of the type action keys the several parts of the type action controlled by the key start to move, after which finger M of sub-lever Id of that type action contacts and thereafter depresses the universal bar throughout the remaining part of the down stroke of the actuated key, and said universal bar throughout its downward movement continuously depresses the pressure frame. A key touch of maximum heaviness is thus obtained.

Intermediate degrees of key touch may be obtained by setting lever 50 with its handle arm latched in any desired one of the notches numbered 2 to 6. With said lever arm latched in No. 2 notch the universal bar will engage the r pressure frame and depress the latter only during a very short final portion of the down stroke of the actuated type action key. By latching said lever arm in a selected one of the notches numbered 3 to G the universal bar will engage and depress the pressure frame through final portions of different magnitude of the down stroke of the actuated key and of the downward movement of the universal bar.

What I claim is:

l. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame, a set of key-operated type actions mounted in the main frame, a spring-returned universal bar mounted in the main frame for movement by the type actions, a pressure device mounted in the main frame for movement toward and from the universal bar in the path of movement of the universal bar and springurged toward the universal bar, and means on the main frame manually adjustable to variably limit spring-urged movement of said device toward the universal bar.

2. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a type action actuated universal bar, means for restoring said universal bar to a predetermined idle position, a movable pressure device constantly urged toward the universal bar to oppose movement of the universal bar by the type actions, and adjustable means engageable by said pressure device to variably limit movement of said device toward the universal bar.

3. A typewriting machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said adjustable means is manually settable to permit said device to normally contact the universal bar, to prevent movement of said device by the universal bar, and to permit movement of said device by the universal bar during only a selected portion of the movement of the universal bar by the type actions.

4. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame, key-operated type actions in the main frame, a spring-returned universal bar mounted in the main frame for movement by the type actions, a pressure device mounted in the main frame for movement in the path of movement of the universal bar and constantly urged toward the universal bar in a direction to oppose movement of the universal bar by the type actions, and means adjustably mounted on the main frame for engagement by said device to arrest movement of said device toward the universal bar at selected points at which the universal bar is effective to move said device different extents and at a point at which said universal bar is ineffective to move said device.

5. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actions, a universal bar, operable by the type actions, resilient means normally tending to oppose actuation of the universal bar by the type actions, and manually settable means for rendering said resilient means effective or ineffective as desired in accordance with the setting of said settable means.

6. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame, a set of type actions mounted in the main frame, a spring-returned universal bar movable by said type actions, resilient means on the main frame normally tending to oppose movement of the universal bar by the type actions, and manually adjustable means on the main frame for rendering said resilient means effective during different fractional parts of the movement of the universal bar by the type actions, or totally ineffective, as desired.

7. A typewriting machine having, in combination, key-operated type actions, a type action actuated universal bar spring-returned to a normal idle position, touch varying means adapted to resiliently oppose actuation of the universal bar by the type actions, and means manually settable to vary the period of action of the universal bar on the touch varying means and to totally eliminate action of the universal bar on the touch varying means.

8. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame, a set of key-operated type actions, a type action actuated universal bar mounted on the main frame and spring-returned to a normal idle position, a key-touch varying pressure device movably mounted on the main frame and spring-urged in one direction to resiliently oppose with a progressively increasing force the actuation of the universal bar by the type actions, and manually adjustable means on the main frame adjustable to vary the period of movement of said device by the universal bar or to totally eliminate such movement.

9. A typewriting machine having, in combination, key-operated type actions, a type-action actuated universal bar, and key-touch regulating means comprising, means normally adapted to yieldingly oppose with a progressively increasing force movement of said universal bar by the type actions, and means manually settable to vary or to totally eliminate, as desired, the period of opposition of said first-mentioned means to actuation of the universal bar by the type actions.

10. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame, a set of key-operated type actions mounted in the main frame, a springreturned universal bar mounted in the main frame for movement by the type actions, said universal bar being spaced from the type actions in the normal idle position of the type actions,

a key-touch varying device spring-urged toward a the universal bar and movably mounted in the main frame to yieldingly oppose movement of the universal bar by the type actions, and means for rendering said device ineffective to oppose movement of the universal bar by the type actions 11. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame, a set of key-operated type actions in the main frame, a spring-returned universal bar mounted in the main frame for movement by the type actions, a key-touch varying pressure device mounted in the main frame for engagement thereof by the universal bar to yieldingly oppose movement of the universal bar by the type actions and normally spring-urged toward the universal bar, and manually adjustable means mounted on the main frame for engagement by said device to limit movement of said device toward said bar and adjustable to vary the period of engagement of said device by said universal bar or to totally eliminate engagement of said device by said bar, as desired.

12. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of key-actuated type actions, a universal bar frame supported in the main frame to swing up and down and for downward swinging thereof by the respective type actions on the down strokes of the type action keys, means constantly tending to swing said universal bar frame upwardly, a key-touch varying pressure device supported in the main frame to swing up and down in the path of movement of said universal bar frame, spring means constantly urging said pressure device upwardly, and manually settable means on the main frame settable in different fixed positions in which it is engageable by said device to limit upward movement of said device, said device being engageable and depressible by said universal bar in one or more of the set fixed positions of said manually settable means.

13. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of key-actuated type actions, a spring-returned universal bar frame supported in the main frame to swing up and down about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the machine and for downward swinging of said universal bar frame by the type actions on the down strokes of the type action keys, a key-touch varying pressure frame extending under the universal bar frame and supported in the main frame to swing up and down about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the machine, spring means tending to constantly urge said pressure frame upwardly into contact with the universal bar frame for depression of the pressure frame by the universal bar frame on the down strokes of the type action keys, a hand lever fulcrumed on the main frame, and means for latching said lever in diiferent rocked positions, said lever hav ing means thereon engageable by said pressureframe to depress said pressure frame against the resistance of said spring means and to variably limit upward movement of said pressure frame by said spring means to thereby vary the touch of the type action keys.

14. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of key-actuated type actions, a springreturned universal bar device supported in the main frame to swing up and down about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the machine and for downward swinging of said universal bar device by the type actions on the down strokes of the type action keys, a key-touch varying pressure device extending under the universal bar device and supported in the main frame to swing up and down about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the machine, spring means constantly tending to urge said pressure device upwardly into contact with the universal bar device for depression of the pressure device by the universal bar device on the down strokes of the type action keys, a hand lever fulcrumed on the main frame to swing about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the machine, means whereby said lever may be held fixed in different rocked positions, and means on said lever overlying said pressure device to variably limit upward movement of said pressure device in accordance with the rocked position of the lever.

15. A typewriting machine as claimed in claim 14, wherein said hand lever is a bellcrank lever having a laterally flexible handle arm and an arm overlying said pressure device, and said main frame carries means having a fore and aft extending row of notches in selected ones of which the handle arm of the lever is engageable to latch the lever in different rocked positions.

16. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a type action including a key-actuated lever, a spring-returned universal bar depressible by said lever and normally spaced slightly therefrom, a key-touch-varying pressure device depressible by said universal bar and constantly spring-urged upward toward said bar, and a touch control hand lever pivotally supported independently of the universal bar and pressure device and having a stop portion overlying said pressure device and shiftable to variably control upward movement of said pressure device.

17. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a type action including a key-actuated lever, a spring-returned universal bar device depressible by said lever, a spring-returned pressure device depressible by said universal bar device, and manually settable means supported independently of said devices and including means for varying the normal returned position of the pressure device for varying the key touch.

18. A typewriting machine having, in combination, type actions each including a key-actuated lever, a spring-returned universal bar device depressible by said key-actuated levers of the type actions, a pressure device normally spring-urged upwardly for depression thereof by the universal bar device, and manually settable means supported independently of said devices and coactive with the pressure device to variably limit upward movement of the pressure device within fixed limits, at one of which limits said pressure device contacts the universal bar device throughout depression of the latter and at the other of which limits the universal bar device is inefiective to depress the pressure device.

19. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of key-actuated type actions, a springreturned universal bar device shiftable by the type actions, a spring-returned pressure device shiftable by the universal bar device, and a touch control hand-lever supported independently of said devices and having a stop portion engageable by the pressure device to variably limit the spring-returned movement of the pressure device in accordance with the rocked position of the said hand-lever.

HENRY ALLEN AVERY. 

